100 Greatest Phillies: 16 – Del Ennis

Born in Philadelphia, Del Ennis got to live a boyhood dream by playing for the Philadelphia Phillies. And boy, did he make it work. Recruited out of Olney High School, Ennis flew right away with a solid rookie season. He hit .313, driving in 73 while hitting 30 doubles at age 21. His career took off from there, scoring six total top-15 finishes in MVP voting as a Phillie while boasting big numbers – eight seasons of 20 or more homers, including two 30-homer years. His best, of course, was that magical 1950 season, when at age 25, Ennis hit .311, hitting 31 homers and driving in a career-high 126. That total led the league; he’d score nine top-10 finishes in RBI over his Phillie career. He ended his Phillie career after being traded to the Cardinals for Bobby Morgan and Rip Repulski in 1956. At the time, he was the all-time franchise home run king; he’d give up that throne to Mike Schmidt 25 years later. He died in 1996 after complications with diabetes. He is buried in Roslyn.

Comment: We continue to straddle the line with guys who aren’t quite Hall of Famers, but boast impressive resumes. Ennis was a standout, pure and simple. He could hit anything; of course, he was overshadowed by some legends who played during his time. And he was a Philly boy. Utmost respect for Ennis.